Ratchet brake mechanism.



R. H. BLACKALL.

RATOHET BRAKE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1913.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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HTORIIEYS R. H. BLAOK ALL. RATCHET BRAKE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22,1913.

1,120,123, Patented Dec. 8, 1914 3 SHBETSSHEET 2.

; eb \g R w A M iA v: T R? k 1% ATTORNEYR R. H. BLAGKALL. RATCHET BRAKEMECHANI SM. APPLICATION FILED 1011.22, 1913.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

3 SHEETS'SHEET 3.

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ATTORNEKS staff. This type of ROBERT H. BLACKALL,

BRAKE COMPANY,

OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB. T0 BATCHET OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A.CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RATCHET BRAKE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed April 22, 1913. Serial No. 762,948.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT H. BLACK- ALL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, county ofAllegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Ratchet Brake Mechanism; and I do hereby declare thefollowin to be a full, clear, and exact description 0 the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates particularly to handactuated brake mechanism of theratchet type, wherein the brake staff is rotated to apply the brakesthrough the medium of an operating handle, which, when oscillated,imparts a step-by-step rotating movement to the staff. Suitable ratchetmechanism is provided in these devices for clutching the handlepositively to the staff in the forward or brake a plying movement andfor permitting a free retractive' movement of the handle in the reversedirection. In addi-' tion, means are usually provided for automaticallyunclutching the operating handle from the staff when the handle isreturned to its normal position of rest." The preferred form ofhand-actuated brake mechanism at the present time is what is well knownas the drop'handle type; (like that shown in Patent No.898880) in whichthe handle is pivoted so as to fold toward the staff and is soconstructed and arran ed that it will in its foldin movement au 0-matically .uncouple itsel from the staff. The advantages of such a typeare obvious, the principal one being that with the handle folded to itsnormal position of rest, it lies close to the staff where it is entirelyout of the way and occiipies but small space. But to this type thereattachesthe disadvantage that it can be used only in places where thereis sufficient room to permit the'folding movement of the handlenecessary to accomplish the uncoupling of the handle from the brakemechanism is therefore limited in its use to places where the brakestaff is vertically disposed and sufficient clearance is provided toallow for the dropping 01' folding movement of the handle, and it cannotbe employed upon so called dummy-end baggage and express cars and thelike, where the brake staffs are journaled horizontally in theend wallsof the car.

'tion with the The object of my invention is to provide a brakemechanism possessing the advantage of the drop handle type referred toand which may be used universally and interchangeably upon all kinds ofcars, regardless of the different dispositions of the brake staffthereon. This object I have been able to accomplish by pivotallysupporting the operating handle so that it is capable of being foldeddown out of the way when not in use, and by providing means apart andindependent from the handle for effecting the automatic release of thehandle from the staff. In this way, the advantages of the drop handletype are-realized and the disadvantages as to its former limited use areovercome.

In the specific form of the invention herein disclosed, the pivotalsupport for the handle is carried by a sleeve loosely rotatable upon thebrake staff, which sleeve carries a face ratchet for engagement with arela tively fixed face ratchet on the staff, and the automaticunclutching of the handle is effected by causing an inclined bearingface on the ratchet sleeve to engage during re verse rotation of thesleeve with a correspondingly inclined stationary abutment,

whereby the relatively movable ratchet member is lifted from engagementwith the fixed ratchet member. A special feature of this particular formof unclutching device resides in the provision of lugs at theextremities of the inclined bearing faces, which, by engaging at the endof the unclutching movement serve as stops to prevent further turningmovement of the handle.

Various other features of the invention will appear'as the specificationproceeds.

The drawingsaccompanying this specification illustrate the invention ina concrete and preferred embodiment but I would have it understood thatvarious changes and modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view illustrating the use of theinvention in connechorizontal brake staff at the end of a dummy endbaggage or express car, the end wall of the car appearing in section andthe other parts being shown in elevation. This view shows also, how byextending the brake staff,-which is horizontally disposed, in thiscase,through the end wall of the car and by mounting one of the brakeoperating mechanisms at each end of the staff, the brake may becontrolled from either inside or outside the car. Fig. 2 is a detachedview taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1, and showing the brakecrating mechanism which is located at t e end of the brake staff outsidethe car; Fig. 3 is a broken detail view taken substantially on the planeof the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the awl and ratchet for holding thebrake sta against reverse rotation when shifting the hand lever backwardforthe' pur ose of taking a fresh grip on the brake sta Fig. 4 is anenlarged vertical sectional view of the clutch between the operatinghandle and stafi'; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on theplane of line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an external view illustrating theunclutching mechanism; Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation illustratingthe handle applied to a vertically disposed brake stafl' wlth the handlein dropped position and the clutch members in engagement; Fig. 8 is alike view but with the handle extended and the clutch members disengagedby the action of the lifting cams; and ig. 9

' illustrates the handle holding clip.

The brake staff, which in the several views. is designated 9, is, bymeans of a chain 10,

or other suitable medium, connected in the usual way to the brake rigginof the car. The disposition of. the sta as before pointed out, varies inthe different kinds of cars, and I have illustrated the adaptabilit ofmy invention by showing it applied bot to horizontal and to verticallydisposed,

brake stafis. Thus, the mechanism shown in Fi s. 1 to 4 is ofthe typeused on dummy end bagga e cars and the like, wherein the brake sta ismounted on theend wall of the car and lies in a horizontal plane, whilein Figs. 7 and 8, the staff is shown disposed yertically as it is onpassenger coaches, etc. I Fig. 1, 11 indicates the end wall of a car andthe brake staff is shown passing completely therethrough so that it maybe operated both from inside and outside the car.

which may be secured direct to the end w 12 here designates a bearingfor the outer The staff is journaled in suitable bearingls' end of thestaff, and 13 a bearing: foig.' -thex.

inner end of the staff. The outboard hearing is usually spaced fromthewall of the car, as by mounting it upon supporting legs 14, so as toprovide room for the chain to wind upon the staff and to provide spacefor the placing of the ratchet and pawl ordinarily employed inconjunction with the brake applying mechanism. The outwardly extendingportion of the staff may be braced against the pull of the chain bymeans of a strut 15, engaging either with the stafi or with the bearingbracket 12 at its one end and anchored to the car wall at its oppositeend, by a bolt 16 or other suitable fastening.

The rotation of the brake staff for the purpose of applying the brakesby hand is accomplished through the medium of clutch mechanism, hereindisclosed in the form of a face ratchet 18 fast on the staff and arelatively movable face ratchet 19 adapted to convert oscillatorymovements of the handle 17, which is carried by the movable clutchmember 19, into a ste -by-step rotatlng movement of the sta ratchetmember 18 is fastened upon the staff, as by means of a transverse pin20, and the movable handle-carrying ratchet member is loosely confinedupon the staff so that it may have free rotary movement as well as a.movement longitudinally of the staff into and out of engagement with thefixed ratchet member. A spring 22 abutting against pin 21 may beprovided for insuring engagement of the movable ratchet member with thefixed ratchet, particularly when the handle is used on a horizontalstaff. The weight of the movable clutch member will ordinarily insure apositive engagement when the handle is used on a vertical stafl. When,however, the spring is employed, it is referably coiled about the staff,as shown in engaged between the abutment 21 and the movable clutchmember, this member being preferably provided with an annualr recess 23,in its upper or outward end, within which the spring is seated.

Provision is made for the collapsing or folding of the operating handlein respect to the stafl by pivotally connecting the handle with theloose ratchet member or sleeve. The sleeve is for this purpose, in theform of the invention herein disclosed, provided with a pair of spacedradially disposed pivot lugs 24 which receive between them the inner endof the handle and carry the stud 25, on which the handle is pivotallyengaged. i 1

The means for effecting the uncoupling of the handlefrom the staffautomatically, in the present disclosure, takes the form of a pair ofdiametrically opposite .lugs or projections 26 provided-with inclinedbearlng faces 27 which, upon-.an'extreme re ig. 4, and

clined bearing faces 28 on fixed abutments 29. These. relatively fixedabutments 29 may, as shown, he conveniently carried by the bearingbracket. To limit the reverse movement of the sleeve, the cooperatinginclined bearing faces of the lugs and abutments may be provided withextensions 30 and 31 at the upper endsof the inclines and adapted toengage, as shown in Fig. 6, ,after the unclutching 'movement has beeneffected, to prevent any further rotative movement.

- The operation will be clear from the forc the relatively goingdescription. Upon a. forward -rotative movement of the handle themovable clutch sleeve makes positive engagement with the fixed clutchmember and during the reverse movement of the handle the clutch membersseparate and permit a retractive movement of the movable clutch member.The brake staff may be held during this retractive movement of thehandle by means of the pawl 32 which engages a ratchet 33 fast on thestaff. In the case of a vertically disposed brake staff, as in -F i s. 7and 8, this awl may be mounted on t e floor or plat orm of the car inposition where the brakeman may control it with his foot, in the usualway. In the first form illustrated, where the brake staff ishorizontally disposed, this take-up pawl is normally held in engagementwith the ratchet by a pivoted weight 34 bearing against it, and whendesired to release the pawl this weight is swung up into the dotted lineposition in Fig. 3, whereupon the weighted handle 35 of the pawl throwsit out of engagement with the ratchet. The pivot 36 of the weight 34 is,in a case like that illustrated in Fig. 1, where the brakes may becontrolled from both inside and outside the 7 car, preferably. extendedthrough the wall of the car and provided with a handle 37 on its innerend. The weight may be supported in its inactive position by providing astop handle to rest upon when in the dotted line position indicated inFigs. 1 and 3. The handle is unclutched from the staff simply bycontinuing the rearward or .retractive movement far enough to engage theinclined separating members which act first to lift the movable clutchmember from engagement with the fixed clutch member and when thisdisengagement is effected, serve to prevent. any further rotativemovement in that direction.

From the foregoing, it is evident that I obtain all the advantages ofthe drop handle type when the invention is used in connection with avertical brake staff, and that by reason of the fact that the automaticunclutching is effected by means wholly independent of the foldingaction of the handle this brake mechanism may be used equally as well inconnection with horizontally disposed brake staffs and in places wherethere would not be room for the folding action of the handle.

When the handle is used as a horizontal staff, a holding bracket likethat indicated at 39 in Figs. 1, 2 and 9, may be provided to receive andsteady the handle in its normal position of rest.

The clutch mechanism is preferably rotected, as shown in Fig. 4, byprovi mg the bearing with an upstanding annular rim 40 which inclosesthe fixed clutch mem- 38 for this bar and the movable clutch sleeve witha dependent annular flange 41 which comes down over and incloses theupstanding rim. The clutch sleeve is also preferably closed at the topby a cap 42 which may be secured in place by a pin 43 driven in throughthe side of the cap and engaging in alining recesses in the cap and thesleeve.

A. subordinate feature of improvement embodied in the ratchet brakemechanism herein disclosed, of- 'mportance in that it prevents bindingbetween the staff and the upper ratchet element as that element islifted to disconnect the handle, is the ro vision of the duplicate lugs26 and a utments 27 diametrically disposed on opposite sides of the axisof rotation, so that the lift whicheffects disengagement of the clutchmembers is symmetrically applied with respect to that axis.

What I claim is L Hand-actuated brake mechanism adapted for useinterchangeably with either horizontally or vertically disposed brakestafi's, comprising in combination with the brake staff, a sleeverotatably engaged on the staff, an operating handle extending outwardlyfrom the sleeve and 'pivotally connected therewith so as to be ca ableof folding toward the staff into para lel relation therewith,inter-engaging clutch elements carried by the sleeve and the brake staffand coupling the handle to the staff irrespective 0 whether or not thehandle is in folded position; and means operative by a turning movementof the sleeve for lifting said handle and one of said clutch members tofiihereby uncouple the handle from the sta 2. Hand-actuated brakemechanism adapted for use interchangeably with either horizontally orvertically disposed brake staffs, comprising in combination with thebrake staff a face ratchet fast on the stall, and a second face ratchetrotatably engaged on the staff and movable longitudinally thereon intoand out of engagement with the relatively fixed ratchet, an outstandingoperating handle pivoted to the movable ratchet so as to be capable of afolding movement toward the staff, and means operated by aturninmovement of-the movable ratchet for li ting the handle and the movableratchet to release said ratchet from the relatively fixed ratchet.

3. Hand-actuated brake mechanism comprising in combination, abrake-staff, a bearing for the staff, a face ratchet fast on the staff,a sleeve rotatably engaged on the staff provided with ratchet teeth onits 1n- .ner face arranged to make positive engagement with therelatively fixed ratchet 1n the forward rotative movement of the sleeve,an outstanding operating handle pivotally connected with the sleeve soas to be capablosq g of a folding movement toward the staff, and lugscarried by the bearing and sleeve respectively arranged to engage in thereverse rotation of the sleeve and provided with inclined surfaceswhereby to lift the sleeve and handle and disengage the sleeve from thefixed ratchet.

4. In hand-actuated brake mechanism, a brake-staff, a face ratchet fixedon the staff, a face ratchet rotatably engaged on the staff and movablelongitudinally thereon into and out of engagement with the relativelyfixed ratchet, a handle for turning the movable ratchet and movable withsaid rotatable ratchet longitudinally of the staff, a

- relatively fixed abutment provided with an inclined bearing face, aninclined bearing face on the movable ratchet arranged, in the turningmovement of said ratchet, to ride up the incline of the fixed abutmentto thereby disengage the movable ratchet from the fixed ratchet, andstops at the inclined bearing faces arranged to engage and limit theturning movement of the movable ratchet.

5. In hand-actuated brake mechanism, a brake staff, a face ratchet fixedon the staff, a face ratchet rotatably engaged on the staff and movablelongitudinally thereon into and out of engagement with the relativelyfixed ratchet, a handle for turning the movable ratchet, a relativelyfixed abutment provided with an inclined bearing face, an inclinedbearing face on the movable ratchet arranged in the turning movement ofsaid ratchet to ride up the incline of the fixed abutment to therebydisengage the movable ratchet from the fixed ratchet, each of the saidinclined bearin surfaces having projections adapted af ter disengagementof the movable ratchet to engage and prevent further turning movement ofsaid ratchet.

6. In hand-actuated brake mechanism, the combination of a brake staff; afixed clutch member on the staff, a clutch sleeve rotatably engaged onthe staff and provided with an annular recess, an operating handlepivotally attached to the sleeve, a coil spring encircling the staff andseated in the recess in the sleeve, an abutment on the staff for saidspring, and a cap secured to the sleeve and inclosing the end of thestaff.

7. In hand actuatedbrake mechanism, a brake staff, a face ratchet fixedon the staff, a face ratchet rotatably engaged on the staff and movablelongitudinally thereon into and out of engagement with the relativelfixed ratchet, a handle pivotally attached to the movable ratchet, andmechanism for effecting the disengaging movement of the movable ratchetcomprising a pair of cams diametrically disposed on opposite sides ofthe axis of rotation; substantially as described.

8. In hand-actuated brake mechanism,

the combination of a brake staff, a face ratchet fixed on the staff, aclutch sleeve rotatable with respect to said staff, and having a faceratchet for engagement with the face ratchet of said staff, said sleevebeing provided with an annular recess, a pivotally mounted drop handleconnected to turn said sleeve, a coil spring in said recess andencircling said staff and tending to hold said face ratchets together, acap inclosing said spring and the end of said staff, and connected toturn with said sleeve, and means for disengaging said face ratchets whenthe brake staff is to be released.

9. In hand-actuated brake mechanism, the combination of a brake stafl, afixed clutch member on the staff, a clutch sleeve rotatable with respectto said staff and provided with an annular recess, a coil spring seatedin said recess, an abutment on the staff for said spring, a capinclosing the end of said staff and connected to turn with said sleeve,a drop handle pivoted to fold down toward said staff, and means forlifting said clutch sleeve when the brake staff is to be released.

10. Hand-actuated brake mechanism, comprising in combination a brakestaff, a stationary bearing member for said staff adapted for attachmentto part of a car, said bearing member having an upstanding flangeforming a housing and lugs integral with said bearing member anddiametrically disposed with respect to said stafi, a face ratchetsecured to said staff and inclosed by said housing, a sleeve rotatableon the staff and provided with teeth to form a face ratchet forengagement with the staff ratchet during forward rotative movement ofthe sleeve, a handle operatively connected to rotate said sleeve, saidhandle being capable of folding down substantially parallel with thebrake staff and without disengag- I ing said ratchets, lugs carried bysaid sleeve and arranged to engage with the lugs on the stationarybearing member and'to ride upward thereon when said sleeve is rotatedbackward far enough, a stop limiting the extent of said backwardmovement and a cap inclosing the end of said brake staff and pinned tosaid sleeve and rotating therewith, said cap and sleeve moving upward inunison when said sleeve is lifted out of engagement with said staffratchet.

11. Hand-actuated brake mechanism, comprising in combination a brakestaff, a stationary bearing member for said staff adapted for attachmentto part of a car, said bearing member having an upstanding flangeforming a housing and lugs integral with said bearing member anddiametrically disposed with respect to said staff, said lugs avinginclined surfaces at their front edges, a face ratchet pinned to saidstaff and inclosed by said housing, a sleeve rotatable on the staff andprovided with teeth to form a face ratchet for engagement with the staffratclut dur ng forward rotative movement of the sleev a handleoperatively conuectvd to rotate sa d sleeve, said handle being capableof folding down substantially parallel with the bralae staff and Withoutdisengaging said ratchets, lugs carried by said sleeve and arranged toengage with the lugs on the stationary bearing member and to ride upwardthere-an vvhen said sleeve is rotated backward far enough, and a capinclosing the end of said brake stair said cap and sleeve moving upwardin unison when said sleeve is lifted out of engagement with said staffratchet.

12. Hand-actuated brake mechanism, comprising in combination a brakestaff, a stationary bearing member for said staff adapted for attachmentto part of a car, said bearing member having an upstanding flangeforming a housing and lugs integral with said bearing member anddiametrically disposed with respect to said staff, said lugs havinginclined surfaces at their front edges, a face ratchet pinned to saidstaff and resting on said stationary bearing member and inclosed by saidhousing, a sleeve rotatable on the staff and provided with teeth to forma face ratchet for engagement with the staff ratchet during forwardrotative movement of the sleeve, a handle operatively connected torotate said sleeve, said handle being capable of folding downsubstantially parallel vxith the brake staff and Without disen ging.said ratrhets, li gs carried by said sleeve and arranged to engage withthe lugs on the stationary bearing member and to ride upward thereonwhen said sleei'e is rotated backward far enough, a stop limiting theextent of said backward movement and a cap inclosing the end of saidbrake staff and pinned to said sleeve and rotating therewith, said capand sleeve moving upward in unison when said sleeve is lifted out ofengagement With said staff ratchet.

In testimonv whereof I affix my signature. in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT BLACKALL.

Witnesses:

M. A. BILL, WILLIAM H. DAVIS.

